Clarifier.



No. 694,871. Patehtad Mar. 4, i902. L. LII'TY.l

CLARIFI-EB.

(Application filed Aug'. 12, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut l,

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W/TNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT 'EEICE.`

LCAS LlTTY, OF DONALDSONVILLE, LOUISIANA.

CLARIFIER.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters '.Patent No. 694,871, dated March 4, 1902.

pplication led August 12, 1901. Serial No. 71,769. KNO model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.- 1 I Be it known that I, LUCAS LITTY, a citizen of the United States, and a 'resident of Don-- aldsonville, in the parish of Ascension and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Clariiier, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically clarifying the juice of su gar-cane, beet-sugar, or other juices with which heat is employed for clariiication and the object is to provide an apparatus for this purpose of simple construction by means of which juices will be rapidly and thoroughly clarified in an automatic manner or without manual exertion. f

1 will describe a clarifier embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a @lari-'- iier embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the clarifier-tank, divided into two compartments A and B, which are here shown as of rectangular form; but it is obvious that theymay be cylindrical or otherwise formedl Without departing from the spirit of my invention.A To form the compartments, the tank is divided by means of a partition 2, which extends from the bottom of the tank to a point somewhat below the top thereof. This partition' 2 is provided with an outlet 3 at its lower end, controlled by a gate-valve 4, having an upwardly-extended stem 5, the object of which will hereinafter appear. At one side of the partition 2, or within the compartment lf3/isfv a retarding-partition 5a, which extent/strom' a point somewhat above the top otthe parti tion 2 to a point slightly above the bottom ofl the tank.

.At the inlet end of the tanl'r, or within the head portion of the compa/piment A, is an in-v clined partition or batik-plate 6, which extends nearly i0 the bottom of the tank, and in the space between Said baffle-plate 6 and the @11d 0f the tllkf'the material to be clariiied is received through a pipe v7.

inclined-upward and outward from the top of the partition or baille-plate 6 is a chute S, having a solid bottom and side Walls, and spaced Yabove the solid bottom is a screen or i perforated plate 9, over which an endless carrier moves for carrying scum and discharging it into a trough 10, having a pipe 11 leading to a mud-tank'. Y The endless carrier or conveyor consists of blades 12, connected at their ends to chains 13 and 14, the chainl 13 passing around sprocket-wheels 15 and 16 on the shafts 17 and 18, While the chain 14 passes around sprocket-wheels 19 `and 20 on said shafts l17 and 1S. The shaft 18 is extended and is provided with a sprocket-wheel 21, from which a sprocket-chain 22 extends to a sprocket-wheel 23 on the shaft of an engine 24, which is operated by` exhauststeam, as will be hereinafter described.

Arranged on the tank 1, over the partition 5, is a propelling-wheel 25, on the shaft of which isa-sprocket-wheel 26from which a chain 27 leads to a sprocket-wheel 28 on the shaft 1S. A steam-pipe 2Q-leads from a suitable boiler, and from this pipe a branch pipe 30, having a valve 31,--leads-into the central portion of acoil 32, arranged in the bottom of the compartm'ent A. The ends of this coil 32 communicate th rough a pipe 33 with an exhaustpipe 34, having a branch connection 35 with the motor, this branch connection being provided with a valve 36, and also forward of the connection 35 the pipe 34 is provided with a valve 37. A pipe 3S, having a valve 39, leads into the central portion of a coil 40, the ends of which communicate through a pipe41 with the exhaust-pipe 34.

At theou-tletY end 'of the tankand leading front-a' point near the bottom thereof is a disfcharge-pipe 42, and in this pipe 42 is arranged aregulating-pipe, consisting of the upwardlyextended members 43, in which members 44 of a connecting-section are vertically adjustable. This regulator is designed to regulate the height of liquid in the tank-that is, the height necessary to carry the sc um to a point above the partition 5a. As a means for adj usting the height of the regulator l provide a screw-rod 45, which is connected at its upper end to the cross-pipe of the upper section and passes through an opening in a bar 46,

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this screw-rod is engaged above and below the bar 46 byadjusting-nuts. The upper section of the regulator is provided with a vent 47.

Between the members 43 the pipe 42 is provided with a valve 48, designed to be closed when liquid is to be passed through the regulator or to be opened when the tank is to be drained. As a further means for draining the tank of any matter that might settle to the bottom thereof I provide adrain-pipe 49, in which a valve is arranged. I have shown the drain-pipe as having communicationrwith but one of the compartments. However, each compartment may be provided with such a drain-pipe.

In operation the juice after the-preparatio for clarifying passes into the tank and against the partition 6 through the pipe '7. The juice passes out under the bottom of the partition 6, and when the coil y32 is covered steam is turned on by opening the valve 3l. The liquid reaching the top of the partition 2 will flow over the same against the partition 5 and underneath said partition 5^PL into the compartment B. Vhen the coil 40 in this compartment B is covered, steam is turned on by opening the valve 3D. The exhaust-steam from the coils will pass to the motor 24, the valve 37 being closed and the valve 36 open, and the motor will impart motion to the endless conveyer and also to the paddle-wheel or propeller 25. The agitation of the liquid will carry the scum or blanket to the top, and the blades of the conveyer will scrape off this scum and carry it up over the sieveor perforated bottom 9, discharging it into the trough l0. Vhatever liquid may be carried with the scum will pass through said sieve or perforated bottom onto the solid bottom of the chute 8 and iiow back` into the compartment A of the tank forward of the baffleplate G.

While the current induced by movements of the endless conveyer may be suiiieient to draw the scum toward the chute, I find it convenient to also employ the wheel 25, the blades of which will pass closely to the top of the .partition 5. The agitation of the wheel 25 will force said scum back toward the chute, where it will be gathered up by the endless conveyer.

The upper member 44 of the regulator is to be adj usted bymeans of the rod45k and while the valv`48 is closed to keep the juice or liquid up tothe top of the partition 5a. This. will by the flow of the juice over the partition 2 and under the partition 5a cause the impurities or scum better to rise and iiow over the partition 2 and seek the conveyer 12. The clariiied liquid will pass out through a section of the pipe 42, thence through the regulator 43 44 to the other section of the pipe 42.

To drain the tank after closiu g down work, the valve 4 is to be raised and the valve 48 in the pipe 4-2 opened, and thus it is obvious that the liquid will flow out through said pipe 42 without passing through the regulator.

To washout the tank, the valve in the pipe 49 may be opened and water poured in the tank.

The speed of the conveyer 1 2 may be regulated by more or less opening the valve 36 in the pipe leading to the motor and the more or less opening or closing of the valve .37,

The partitions 5a and G will cause the juice to evenly spread when entering and passing under them.

While I have shown the tank as divided intoV two compartments, -it is obvious that it may` be divided into a greater number of compartments, depending upon the amount of juice to beoperated upon.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an automatic apparatus for a continuous flow of juice that will remove the impuritiesor scum rising to the top of the liquid andwithout manual manipulation. The operation may be carried out with steam at a very 10W temperature, thus resulting in an economy in the use of fuel.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a clarier, an endless conveyer, comprising Scrapers operating to remove scum from liquid iiowing through the tank, an inclined chute over which the conveyer operates, a screen between the conveyer and the bottom of the chute and a bathe-plate extended downward from the end of the chute and forward of which drainage is directed by the closed bottom of the chute,.substantially as specified.

2. In a clarifier, a tank divided into comf partments, the separation between the compartments comprising a partition extending from the bottom of the tank and another partition extended from a point above the rstnamed partition to a point slightly above the bottom of the tank, and an endless conveyer for removing scum from liquid passing through the tank, substantially as specified.

3. Ina clarifier, a tank divided into compartments, an inclined partition in the inlet end of the first compartment, the bottom of said partition being spaced above the bottom of the tank, a pipe for discharging liquid to be clarified into the tank at the upper side of said partition, an upwardly and outwardly inclined chute above the partition, a sieve spaced above the bottom of the chute, an endless conveyer operating over said sieve, and

` means for operating the conveyer, substantially as specified.

4. In aclariier, a tank comprising two compartments, :the said compartments being formed by a partition extended upward from the bottom 0f the tank and having a Valvecontrolled Openingin its lower portion, and a partition spaced from 13h@ first-named partition within the secondpOmpHtment, the lastname'd partition being'extended from a point above the first-named 'pliOD G0 2L point nearly to the bottom of the milk, Steam-@Oils IOO IIO

eee-eriv arranged 'inthe compartments, a eonveyer operating in the first Compartment for re moving scum, an outlet-pipe, and a level-regulator connecting with said outlet-pipe, substantially as speeiiied.

5; In a clarifier, a tank divided into eom-v partments, a oonveyerV operating in one com partment for removing scum, steam heatingcoils in the compartments, an outlet-pipe, a regulator comprising upwardly-extended telescopic sections connecting with the outletpipe, means for regulating the upper portion of the regulator relatively to the lower portion, and` a valve arranged in the outlet-pipe between the members of the regulator, sub-v stantially as specified.

6. yA elaritier, comprising compartments adapted to discharge one into the other, an

endless eonveyer forr removing seum from theA liquid passed into the lirst compartment,

coiledpipes arranged` in the compartments and having connection with a steam-supply,u

andra propeller operating' to force scum to- Ward the eonveyer, substantially as specified. 7. A clarifier, comprising astank divided into compartments by two partitions so arrangedl thatv the-liquid passing from one compertinent will flow over one partition and unf derneath the othexpartition to the nextcom: partment, means Vfor conveying scum away from the 'liquid inthe tank, and meansfor` regulating the height ot liquid YKin .the tank,A substantially as specified. Q

In testimony whereof I have .signed `name to this speoieation in the preseneejot'- two subscribing Witnesses. v

Y LUCAS LITTY, f-

W'itnesses: i Y

Jos. Sfr. ARNAUT, e DIEDRICH -OHLMEYER 

